Photography is a popular theme in a range of different media forms. This includes films, video games and music. Artists like to include photography in their work because it is a universally recognised activity.
Dead Rising
Dead Rising is an action-packed video game where players control a character called Frank West. He is a photojournalist tasked with covering news of a supposed zombie virus outbreak. Players use a DSLR camera to take pictures of the undead and earn points. Trapped in a mall, Frank is forced to survive hundreds of zombies while continuing to take photos of the event.
Grand Theft Auto
The Grand Theft Auto game series has several instalments where photography plays a vital role. Cameras are sometimes used to take incriminating pictures of well-known figures. This is the case in a mission for GTA: Vice City. In the later games, players can take as many photos of the environment as they want. In GTA V each character has a phone camera for this purpose.
Pecker
In this John Waters comedy film, a young man named Pecker dreams of becoming a famous photographer. When the New York art collector community takes an interest in his work, Pecker struggles to adjust to being in the limelight. The lives of all the people around him begin to suffer, as well. Pecker decides to use photography to get revenge on the snobs who wronged him.
Blow-Up
Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up is one of the most famous movies which focuses on photography. In it, a London fashion photographer notices something strange in one of his developed pictures. He suspects it may be evidence of a sinister crime. This takes the audience on a peculiar mystery around the city. Blow-Up is now considered one of the most influential films of the “Swinging Sixties”.
Rear Window
In Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller, a photographer played by James Stewart breaks his leg. He is forced to stay in his apartment and amuse himself by watching the people around the neighbourhood through the lens of his camera. Photography is a central theme of Rear Window. Later on in the story, the main character believes he has witnessed a murder and decides to uncover the truth.
Photography by Nickelback
The importance of photographs for reliving memories is a vital theme of this Nickelback track. The main character in the song is looking through an old photo album and remembering when he was younger. Each verse deals with a different aspect of his past. This includes the school which he went to and the arcade where he used to hang out.
Photograph by Def Leppard
Photograph is one of Def Leppard’s most popular songs. It has been featured on their “best of” compilation. The lyrics deal with a man’s obsession with a female model. He has seen her picture in a magazine but wants to meet her in person. In the chorus, he laments that having her photograph is not enough for him. Def Leppard continue to play Photograph during their live shows.